Knives of the Blade Show 2014 • Raising the Bar!

[The Amazing Virginian]

Ken Steigerwalt's folder is stunning!

 

[Mark Knapp]

I'm curious about this grind. It seems to be hollow ground mid-bevel with the last 1/4-1/5 to the cutting edge more flat than a usual hollow grind.

So elegant. What enamors me most about these are the handles. The unique materials, the way they are shaped. I mean, don't get me wrong, EVERYTHING about these knives is breathtaking. But the "scale" look to the first pictured and the feather appearance of the second really strike my fancy. I'm curious what the materials are. If I were to guess, I'd say stabilized and resin cased pine-cone for the top example. But I don't know about the second one?

The grind on the Bowie is actually flat from the spine to almost zero at the edge. It may just be the light reflecting in an unusual way off of my hand polishing. I can't get it to do that on the knife in hand.

The Bowie is "fossil"(ancient) walrus ivory oriented with the end grain showing and cut in the scale pattern. The dagger is Dall sheep horn heat colored and cut in a scale pattern with sunken oak on the ends.

 

[SharpByCoop]

I've finished all the edits and am struggling on prints. That's tomorrow's project (5-yr-old Epson 3800 is like a car with 200,000 miles on it. Too much fussing to keep it going.)

I'll post all the remaining tomorrow. I want to spend time on descriptions and just don't have the energy this evening.

So, if you though you were getting a BIG show, I've disappointed you. Tonight.

However, I'll leave you with just one dazzler.

R.J. Martin always brings his 'A' game to the Blade Show:

See you tomorrow.

 

[knWWman1]

Jim does a phenomenal service to the knife collector/lover community through his fabulous photography - much appreciated Jim ! Of course he wouldn't have anything to photograph without the incredible Knifemaker talent and supporting buying community, so I'd like to spread my thanks around. I love this stuff !

 

[canineforge]

I can see why you might need to stop and catch your breath. Tremendous work, Coop.

I am not familiar with Shinozaki's work, but if I were to frame a few of your images posted in this thread to hang on the wall, I think that period piece image would be the first.

Appreciate all that you do. :thumbup:

- Joe

 

[SharpByCoop]

Rounding third base....

Logan Pearce has his own thread on these diverse blades, however, like a great song, we can listen over and over...

Jon Christensen creates an entire flowing package with his knife/sculpture. Functional art!

Jeremy Krammes does his version of the same in the Dress Tactical arena

Eldon Talley uses simpler lines and hard use shapes.

Steve Randall promenades with some Classic Bowies.

Great stag!

(His daughter Maggie was our young star helper!)

More...

 

[SharpByCoop]

Steve Gatlin shows his diversity

Can you say 'dreamy pearl'?

Cliff Parker compels you to look closely. If you do, you will be 'rewarded' with the Grim Reaper. Hello!

Rod Watts with a defensive knife that needs someone like Joe Paranee to handle. I'd steer clear....

My 'homeboy' Mace Vitale with rich goodness (We live 30 mins away.)

...and from across the Atlantic (So Africa) is a close friend: Bertie Rietveld. His dragon skin steel and the picasso marble are exquisite.

Veteran Mastersmith Jack Fuller schools us. 'Old Schools' us!

By contrast young maker Frank Fischer educates us on modern clean.

Mark Knapp stands wayyyy apart from the norm with his execution and designs. Here's an incredible hand carved sword cane of whales frolicking in the Aleutian Sea (He's from Alaska)

I'll let Buddy fill in more of the details on this marvel.

Finally...

 

[SharpByCoop]

These last knives were some of the most interesting. The veteran collector client was a saint to wait until we had the time to show them properly.

Bill Moran with a seventies era D4 'Combat Knife'. His steel, at the time, was SO revolutionary, that he marked it 'DAMASCUS'. This was 'new' technology in knives. Again.

Here's his pristine catalog from the era:

And this is the exact knife shown:

Bob Loveless created this custom order for Harry Archer in 1975. Apparently it's one-of-a-kind with the two sheaths and it has Loveless provenance. If I heard it correctly he got it through AG Russell at the time. Maybe AG or the owner will help clarify. Rare (only?) mortised tang.

My final project of the entire show was this SUBSTANTIAL piece from two Bladeforums standouts: Rick Marchand and Lorien Arnold. I forecast a BB 2014 finalist?

I may have missed one or two. I'll add them in if so.

Final thoughts: This show is difficult for me. Blade is an exemplary gathering of the finest PEOPLE in our industry. However, I have to be separated and on the verge of rude in order to NOT get too far behind. (Ask those who waited. It took a while.) I would have liked to and wanted to, and they deserved my personal attention on writeups, but each time I got distracted it would slow me down.

Truth is, I need to perfect and streamline my lighting and methods of shooting. I took seven times as many shots as I used. My tent was much too cramped and inefficient this year (I brought a new one with wasn't as good as I hoped).

Ask anyone to do their best work in front of an audience and with a deadline and it's unimaginably stressful. I was SO happy to leave and chill for the drive home. (Where we listened to 'The Boys in the Boat' book on the way home and while I'm editing. Very good way to de-stress.)

However, for all that hard work; this thread, your compliments, my clients work being admired, is what it's all about.

Keep Calm and Carry on! Thanks for supporting us: Maggie, Susan, Buddy and myself.

Coop

 

[Jon Christensen]

Jim,
I think everyone who brings something in for you to photograph understands how busy you are. All you have to do is look at the line of knives waiting for you to work on to understand.
Thanks for all your hard work
Great pic of my desk knife!
Mark, the carving on your cane knife looks incredible, wish I could have seen it in person!!!

 

[HTMD]

Great job Coop! Thanks for inviting me to assist again this year. Susan, Maggie and I continuously marveled at your capacity for work and never-failing desire to give the customers your very best. You never wavered and the pressure was intense, to say the least. Respect. Congratulations to all the great custom knifemakers and collectors who brought in their best stuff for imaging. Seemed like everyone upped their game again this year! :thumbup:

As Jim has said many times, when it comes to the BLADE Show, it takes a team to git 'er done and this year our teamwork was the best I've experienced. Everybody was in the groove for the entire weekend. Big Fun! :thumbup:

I'll let Buddy fill in more of the details on this marvel.

It was late in the weekend and for a minute we felt flat and fresh out of ideas. Next up was one of the most challenging pieces brought in for photography - Mark Knapp's sword cane. Large complicated pieces are tough to shoot on location with the limited portable show kit - much easier in the regular studio. But, hey... SharpByCoop scoffs at such challenges. Bring it on!

What to do, what to do... we took a short rest and while staring dazedly at the ugly ceiling lights I got an idea. Forget the photo lights, the diffusion tent, the laptop and all the backgrounds. We snatched the table cloth off one of the tables, Maggie got up onto the big conference table in the room and held the table cloth aloft, arms spread wide. Then Coop climbed up on the table while I held the cane directly under one of the ceiling lights, and he clicked off a bunch of exposures. In the end I did a cut 'n paste to eliminate my parts, leaving just the full views of the piece itself. Finished off with a digital background based on the original hotel table cloth. That's how we got from this:

To this:

It was Coop's idea to present this image as a collaboration - now we're doin' like the makers do!

I wanna add this just for grins. It's always nice when something fun or funny happens to relieve stress and tension. Knifemaker and ABS Journeyman Smith Ben Seward brought his banjo this year and resolved to use it to soothe the nerves of those makers who were waiting outside the ABS judging room to find out if they passed or failed. I could hear from inside the photography room and ran out to see if Ben would let me shoot some video. He agreed and here he is. Ben's a great guy and an exceptional knifemaker! Click on Ben to make him play.

 

[Mark Knapp]

Hi Buddy, Coop, Susan and Maggie,

I gotta say what a great job you did on the sword cane, it looks amazing. You guys make me look good. I think it's the challenging things in life that makes it interesting. Thanks for the great work.
Mark

 

[Redsnake1997]

My final project of the entire show was this SUBSTANTIAL piece from two Bladeforums standouts: Rick Marchand and Lorien Arnold. I forecast a BB 2014 finalist?

[/B][/B]

Thanks for the additional pics!! I was able to handle this Bowie f/ Rick and it is QUITE substantial in the hand! Very nice and rugged... hard to describe w/out actually putting your hands on it. I wasn't able to complete a purchase on this one as my $$ got diverted elsewhere... but I'm a Big fan of his work and will own one of his blades soon! The bush waki was also another really cool blade Rick had on his table! (hopefully I didn't miss-name it)

 

[Don Hanson III]

Cliff sold all his knives before I saw this one. That is some crazy cool steel!!!

 

[Lorien]

damn, what a great thread!
Thank you SO MUCH, Jim!

 

[pootsythesamurai]

love all these photo threads in the aftermath of Blade, that's some work load you got through and full marks for it and the stellar photography as always. I'm just waiting on the video of Ben downloading - I'm hoping to get over to Blade in the next few years and him and I will jam.

 

[Steve Randall]

Jim, as always I am amazed at your eye when it come to photography, I think you could make a stick look like a million bucks.
Maggie had a great time, she can't go on enough about how great you and Susan are, and enjoyed meeting and working with Buddy.

Thanks for posting all the pictures.
Steve

 

[Mark Knapp]

Jim,
I think everyone who brings something in for you to photograph understands how busy you are. All you have to do is look at the line of knives waiting for you to work on to understand.
Thanks for all your hard work
Great pic of my desk knife!
Mark, the carving on your cane knife looks incredible, wish I could have seen it in person!!!

Thanks a lot Jon, I appreciate it. I like your stuff too. Nice seeing you at Blade

 

[claudio-cas]

Knives beautiful and fantastic photos, thanks for sharing

 

[Justin Presson]

Awesome photos and some all inspiring blades!

 

[T.R. Overeynder]

Coop,

As usual your creative, diligent work has risen to the top of the barrel, very nice. Thanks to Buddy as well...

Tom Overeynder